Monday, March 16, 2009

OK, I believe Panthers GM Marty Hurney when he says he and the New England Patriots aren't exchanging heated phone calls right now, feverishly trying to find a price that would be suitable for Julius Peppers to go to the Patriots.

But that doesn't mean this trade won't happen. New England has cleared enough cap room to make it a logical landing place for Peppers, who wants to play in a 3-4 system and for a winner. Conversely, the Panthers would like to ship him to the AFC so they don't have to deal with Peppers in case he happens to finally have that 20-sack season he has always teased Panther fans with but never quite delivered.

So let's say at some point -- through Peppers' agent Carl Carey or whatever -- that Carolina and New England do talk after Carey does some negotiating.

11 comments:

Sure. Let's ask for Tom Brady & Gisele Bundchen while we're at it. The only ones more clueless than the Panthers beat writers are the delusional fans. The reality is that the market for Peppers is limited. Not only are there concerns about Julius' desire to take on an unproven role in the 3-4, but hardly any organizations want to be spending massive amounts of money in these economic times. People who actually know something about the NFL have been saying for a while now that Carolina wouldn't be able to match what KC got for Jared Allen. These are just different times and it is a different situation. If local yokel columnists and overly exuberant fans choose not to listen, that's their problem.

Given the CBA rules, youd have to assume Pep and Carey are talking to the Patriots since Fox and Hurney cant. But would it make more sense for Hurney to say this as a way to let the Pats and Pep/Carey know they wouldnt accept a second rounder for Pep...

What's the hold up with him signing the one year deal, Scott? Is he trying to screw us or force our hand in hopes we get desperate enough? I hear that up in the Buffalo area that they're considering making a run for Pep. Know anything??

Everyone in the league understands that the Panthers really, really, REALLY do not want/can't afford to pay Pep crazy money, that any team that took him off of the Panthers' hands would be doing them a tremendous favor.

I hear what people are saying about the economy, and how things are different now than when KC did their deal last year with Minnesota, but the real money in this deal is between Peppers and whatever team decides to make a run at him... in this context, New England. For the Panthers, they are looking for compensation that really from a monetary standpoint has no value as it will be draft picks. So compensation to the Panthers, as long as its reasonable, is the "nit" part of this deal. I would bet on at least two picks... it maybe the high second rounder, but I would think they would talk 3rd or 4th rounder too. Belichick is savvy enough to know the Panthers are in a hole, but he also knows they want a fair deal, so I expect at least 2 picks.

I think the Panthers leaked this story to the press - and for good reason. The Pats are attempting to low-ball the Panthers (classic Belicheat). The Panthers leaked the story to let the rest of the NFL know that the Pats are interested and their potential offer. In other words, let the bidding begin!

Trade details and compensation parameters aside, this is a great prospect. Imagine the greatest athlete out there playing for the greatest coach out there. I am a Panthers fan no doubt but I admire the Patriots for the way they plan and build their team and no matter who plays for them, they turn out to be the best.We keep crying about our 2007 season and that we had no QB after Jake was injured. Look at what the Pats did last year in an identical situation. They almost made the play-offs.Finally, here is the honest assesment: Tell me honestly all of you: If you were Peppers which team would you like to play for?

a. A predictable team that has no heart to take any risk, a coach named John Fox and a QB named Jake Delhomme

b. A proven winner (4 super-bowls in the last 8 years winning 3 of them) with a coach named Bill Belichik and a QB named Tom Brady

Peppers is better than anyone that will be drafted in April. That being said, would you expect the Lions to trade the #1 pick in the draft for the #34 pick? That would be absolutely ridiculous and so would be the suggested trade of Peppers for the very same #34 pick.

Would the Patriots trade Adalius Thomas for an unproven college kid? 1st or 2nd rounder, they are still a potential bust.

We have a guy who was the #2 overall pick in the draft and he is a proven comodity; an athletic freak of nature, one of the NFL's most iconic figures and for someone to even suggest that we take a measly 2nd round pick for him makes my blood boil!

If the Panthers don't get fair market value or trade for a proven veteran (Jay Cutler, etc.), then I will beleive that the NFL and all of professional sports are no more real than professional wrestling, simply mere entertainment with the owners colluding to keep the smaller market teams from being able to consistantly field contenders, giving the larger markets consistantly better teams. This would allow them to generate more revenue from the tv corporations, who will then recoup their money from advertisers who will reach the larger audiances.

I am hoping that is not the case. Please Panthers get a fair deal or just keep Peppers. Let him compete for a super bowl victory this season which will only increase his value and contract demands next season, which I have heard could possibly be uncapped. Is that true?

I like getting the 34th overall pick, but Pepper's value is much more - maybe another round 2, a round 7, and a mid-level round as well. I am not tied to having two round 1 picks because until the last few years the Panther's round 1 pick success was 50/50 at best. However, they hit the jackpot in round 2 the majority of the time and skip the draft in round 3. Get reasonable value for Peppers and don't hang onto him so long because of his talent that he becomes another Kris Jenkins and constantly irritates management, the coaches, and his teammates.